Newton City Council approves DNDA bylaw recommendations and authorizes downtown coordinator and events hire

Newton City Council on March 2, 2021 unanimously approved a package of recommendations to the Downtown Newton Development Association (DNDA) to revise its bylaws and board composition, and authorized city recruitment and hiring actions to support downtown economic development.

City Manager Todd Clark told council staff and elected officials had met with DNDA members, business owners and other stakeholders over several months to consider how the Main Street Program should be structured. Clark said the DNDA remains a 501(c)(3) participating in the North Carolina Department of Commerce Main Street Program and that staff recommended continuing the current public–private organizational model while providing specific governance guidance to the DNDA.

Mayor Pro Tem John Stiver proposed several specific changes that the council approved. The council recommended modifying Article III to create a board of 18 members described as “10 members approved by City Council and 8 appointed members,” altering the mix of ex‑officio and appointed seats; removing Section 3e, which required potential board members to serve on a standing DNDA committee before nomination; and changing Article VI, Section 1 so the first sentence reads: “The City of Newton will employ a Downtown coordinator/Main Street Program Executive Director.” The resolution also removes Article IX, Section 1 (an amendment provision) from the bylaws as presented to council.

The council resolved that the City Manager be authorized to advertise and fill the vacant Main Street Program Coordinator position. Council discussion noted that the DNDA’s coordinator role historically combined downtown economic development duties with event coordination, and stakeholders said separating those functions would better support downtown growth.

Separately, council unanimously authorized the City Manager to hire a full‑time Events and Promotions Coordinator to organize city-sponsored and hosted events that previously consumed significant coordinator time. City Manager Clark described the proposed position as full time because of the hours required to plan and execute festivals and related programs; the proposed minimum salary cited in the record was $33,429. Known events listed in the staff memo include the Foothills Folk Art Festival, Spooktacular, Light Up the Town, three outdoor concerts (with possibility of a fourth), Shop Local events, and discussion of a signature spring event.

Council members who spoke—including Stiver, Anne Wepner, Jerry Hodge, Jody Dixon and Ed Sain—expressed support for the DNDA’s progress, discussed board appointment sources (including a proposed Green Room Community Theatre seat and Chamber of Commerce representation), and debated the timeline for DNDA independence. Wepner offered that independence in three years was optimistic and suggested a five‑year horizon; Dixon urged competitive pay to recruit talent and noted donor interest in supplementing salaries.

What the council decided: the council approved recommendations to DNDA governance and removed the committee-service requirement; authorized the City Manager to advertise and fill the Main Street Program Coordinator vacancy; and authorized hiring a full‑time Events and Promotions Coordinator at the proposed minimum salary. All votes on these items were recorded as unanimous.

Next steps and context: the DNDA is scheduled to hold its annual workshop on March 4, 2021 to develop goals and a budget that must be reported to the North Carolina Department of Commerce to remain in the State’s Main Street Program. The city’s personnel actions are administrative authorizations—the record does not show an executed hire in the minutes; recruitment and appointment processes will follow standard city staffing procedures.